How to get mac to update microsoft. Computer is updated

Cordale Katzenmeyer 0 Reputation points
2026-08-26T18:42:37.9766667+00:00

Need help updating microsoft on the mac. Updated the computer to the latest software and now the mircosoft will not update either.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | MacOS

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  1. John Korchok 236.6K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2026-08-26T19:41:07.3566667+00:00

    If you are running Big Sur or earlier, Microsoft has reduced Office to view-only status. Here is Microsoft's page announcing their abandonment of users on older Macs, with disingenuous advice about upgrading your macOS version: Update Microsoft 365 or Office on your macOS or iOS device

    As alternatives to Office for Mac under Big Sur, you can use Word for the web or Google Docs. For desktop software, take a look at open-source LibreOffice, which has good compatibility with Office file formats.

    If you're adventurous, Open Core Legacy Patcher allows you to run newer versions of macOS on older Macs. You can install up to Sequoia (Tahoe is not supported). I have a 2011 MacBook Pro running Sequoia and the current edition of Office.

    If you are running Monterey or newer and are using Office 2021 or better, you may be experiencing a bug in a recent update. Please try the steps on this page: Unknown Error 0x0 or License not found error in Microsoft 365 or Office running on macOS

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  2. AI answer

    2026-08-26T18:42:53.6466667+00:00

    On Mac, Microsoft 365 updates depend on how the apps were installed.

    1. Check that the Mac meets the current requirement:
      • Microsoft 365 on macOS requires macOS 12 (Monterey) or later.
      • Verify in Apple menu > System Settings > General > Software Update.
    2. If Office was installed from microsoft.com, update it with Microsoft AutoUpdate:
      • Open Word or another Microsoft 365 app.
      • Select Help > Check for Updates.
      • In Microsoft AutoUpdate, select Update or Update All.
      • Turn on Automatically keep Microsoft apps up to date.
      • Restart the app after the update finishes.
    3. If Check for Updates is missing or does nothing, install the latest Microsoft AutoUpdate tool and try again:
    4. If Office was installed from the Mac App Store, update it there instead:
      • Open the Mac App Store.
      • Select Updates.
      • Choose Update All or update the Microsoft apps individually.
    5. If it is unclear how Office was installed, check in Terminal with:
         mdls -name kMDItemAppStoreReceiptType /Applications/Microsoft\ Word.app
      
      • If the result is MDItemAppStoreReceiptType = (null), use Microsoft AutoUpdate.
      • If it shows Production, use the Mac App Store.
    6. If the Mac is fully updated but Office still will not update, use the command-line updater:
      • Open Terminal.
      • Run:
         cd /Library/Application\ Support/Microsoft/MAU2.0/Microsoft\ AutoUpdate.app/Contents/MacOS
         ./msupdate --list
         ./msupdate --install
      
      This lists available updates and then downloads and installs them.

    If the Mac cannot run macOS 12 or later, current Microsoft 365 updates cannot be installed on that device. In that case, the supported options are to use Microsoft 365 on the web, use another supported device, or upgrade the Mac.


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